MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s national football team began a 30-day sequestered training camp in Mexico City ahead of the 2026 World Cup, removing 12 Liga MX players from the decisive phase of the 2024 playoffs at coach Javier Aguirre’s urging. By the time the tournament opens on June 11, the squad will have trained together for five weeks at the renovated Centro de Alto Rendimiento facility.

The Mexican Football Federation invested 400 million pesos ($23 million) to upgrade the center, which now includes 45 private rooms, a 6,000-square-meter gym, and modern medical and sports intelligence facilities. Aguirre called the camp “This is a project, not a whim — it’s a project to try and make this a great World Cup. We concluded that being at home and having these magnificent facilities we needed to be well prepared in every way. This meant having them ready five weeks before the World Cup.” He added, “Being part of the national team and being able to play in a World Cup at home is priceless.”

The move drew criticism from former players and coaches. Félix Fernández, a former Mexico goalkeeper and ClaroSports analyst, argued that players would benefit more from competing in the Liga MX playoffs. “I think there’s no better way for a national team player to reach the World Cup than after playing in the [playoffs], because those are the most intense, most demanding matches. Yes, of course, there’s a risk of injury, but injuries can also happen in training,” he said. Fernández also stated, “Nowadays, the amounts of money [players] earn can easily detach them from reality. The camaraderie has been greatly diminished. Today’s footballer is constantly on his cell phone, watching TV series and movies. It’s not like before when you’d get together in a room with four or six of you to talk. This lack of interaction ends up affecting them on the field.” He added, “The Mexican national team today doesn’t have the level to be among the top 17 in the world. Terrible decisions have been made, and nothing has been done. It never crossed their minds that Mexico was hitting rock bottom.”

Ricardo La Volpe, another former national team manager, questioned the camp’s effectiveness without a full squad. “I’m truly surprised, and I have a lot of respect for Javier Aguirre, but I don’t understand him for one simple reason: First, he doesn’t have most of the players, making the practices meaningless. I would say that if you can’t work with everyone you should let the players use the domestic playoffs to maintain their match rhythm,” La Volpe said.

Chivas de Guadalajara lost five players to the national team and were eliminated in the Liga MX semi-finals by Cruz Azul, which contributed only one player, Érik Lira, and went on to win the league title. Mexico won its most recent friendly 2-0 against Ghana, though Ghana fielded a weakened side and their coach Carlos Queiroz was absent. The team is scheduled to play Australia in Pasadena and Serbia in Toluca before opening World Cup Group A play against South Africa at Azteca Stadium.